A “passionate Essendon supporter” was berated by a judge for sending “gross” online abuse to a Richmond player and his wife.
A judge has beaten up a “keyboard warrior” who abused Richmond player Dylan Grimes on social media, causing the Tigers’ attorney to fear for his family’s safety.
Andrew Alexander was released without conviction in the Ringwood Magistrates Court on Wednesday as long as he behaved well for six months, donated $ 1000 to the Alannah & Madeline Foundation and wrote a “real” letter of apology.
He was accused of following a car service to harass him.
Police said the “ardent supporter of Essendon Football Club” broadcast the news after the Dreamtime game on August 22nd in Darwin between the bombers and the tigers.
“During the game, the defendant drank a lot of alcohol and was upset with the referee of the game and the possible outcome,” police said.
On August 22nd, he sent three profanity-riddled e-mails with the subject “Referee v Essendon”.
On August 24th, Alexander was “heavily intoxicated” again and sent more emails, the court heard.
He claimed Grimes staged a free kick in the game and said in the email that he was “dead”.
Alexander also posted abusive language abuse via the “Contact Us” section of the company owned by Mr. Grimes and his wife.
In the “How did you find out about us?” In the section of the contact form he wrote “Death Threats”.
Alexander told police that he could not remember all of the messages he sent because he had “been drinking all afternoon” and not taking his medication.
He said he sent them because “all of the Essendon supporters kept going and I thought,” oh, I better get into it “.
Magistrate David Starvaggi asked the 54-year-old if he knew what a keyboard warrior was.
(It’s) someone who is sitting at a computer and typing and trying to hide their identity, ”he said.
“In your case, you’re not very good at it.”
Alexander replied that he hadn’t tried to hide his identity.
The judge said the emotional strain and psychological damage were very real to people who received “currents of abuse on social media” through no fault of their own from people like Alexander.
“This is repulsive, repulsive, and abhorrent behavior,” he said.
A 39-year-old Frankston man has also been charged with abuse of Grimes and will appear in court in May.
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